Ben Simmons' performance vs. Celtics lands him in elite company

Ben Simmons' performance vs. Celtics lands him in elite company

Ben Simmons certainly cares more about the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Boston Celtics Tuesday than his own stat line. But the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year was one of the bright spots from a 105-87 loss, posting a stat line of 19 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.

While many fans and analysts offered a tip of the cap to Simmons for the performance, it was actually a bigger deal than it seemed on the surface. As NBA Stats revealed, the 22-year-old joined LeBron James and Russell Westbrook as the only players to post a stat line of 15/10/5 in back-to-back season openers over the past 10 years.

Only three players in the last 10 years have had consecutive season-opening games with at least 15 PTS/10 REBS/5 ASTS:

It’s somewhat surprising, and while a game with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists is no easy task, it does show just how tough achieving this can be for any caliber of NBA player.

Sixers fans are hoping for a repeat performance from Simmons on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. But most importantly, the much bigger hope is for the team to get their first mark in the win column.